Skirting fastener, and more particularly skirting board fastener

ABSTRACT

Corner profile for fastening skirting boards, comprising two walls ( 2, 3 ) forming a body ( 1, 1.1 ) and being provided with fitting up elements ( 4, 5, 4.1, 5.1 ). According to the present invention the body ( 1, 1.1 ) of the skirting fastener is made of a flexible plastics material and its outer shape fits the profile of the skirting. The walls ( 2, 3 ) are provided with stiffening inserts ( 4, 5, 4.1, 5.1 ) made of stiff plastics material, placed along the upright ends of the walls and immovable connected to the walls. The fitting up elements ( 7   a,    7   b,    8   a,    8   b,    6   a,    9   a ) are constituting one unit with the inserts ( 4, 5, 4 - 1, 5.1 ).

An object of the present invention is a skirting fastener, and moreparticularly a skirting board fastener, used for connecting longitudinalprofile elements of a skirting, especially at the corners of acompartment.

From the description of the Polish Patent Application No. P 370968 isknown a skirting system, comprising a joint element in form of a cornerfitting fastener having an uniform body made up of two s-shaped bendedwalls, having a common edge. At the inner side of each wall click websare placed, being used for connecting a joint element with longitudinalelements of a skirting system.

The description of the Polish Utility Model No. W 114844 presents astructure of a skirting board fastener, the outer area of which is amapping of the outer area of a skirting board. There are fixing finsprovided with fixing elements at the inner side of a skirting fastener.

Due to the solution as presented in the Polish Patent Application No. P381506, a skirting board fastener shows a convex body, the outer shapeof which fits the profile of the skirting and which is provided withfitting up elements. That skirting fastener constitutes a two-partstructure comprising a lower portion and an upper portion, beingseparable connected by means of at least one click joint.

An object of the present invention is a skirting fastener, and moreparticularly a skirting board fastener, constituting a double-walledbody, the outer shape of which fits the profile of the skirting andwhich is provided with fitting up elements.

The gist of the present invention consists therein that the body is madeof flexible plastics material, wherein the body walls are provided withstiffening inserts, being longitudinal placed and immovable connectedwith the fastener walls, which are made of stiff plastics material. Toeach of the inserts are immovable attached fitting up elements,constituting one unit with the insert.

According to the present invention, the stiffening inserts constituteadvantageously in their length section the longitudinal elements,approximating in their cross-section the shape of “u”, wherein one armof each profile element, being a fitting up element, is placed outsidethe body wall of the skirting fastener and shows a transverse recess.

Advantageously, the stiffening inserts are made of thermoplasticpolymer, and the body is made of thermoplastic elastomer.

The solution according to the present invention shows inserts, beingplaced almost along the whole length of the body walls.

The structure of the skirting fastener according to the presentinvention enables the use of different types of plastics material,fulfilling particular conditions with regard to the scope of hardness.

In the advantageous embodiment, the flexible plastics material, of whichthe skirting fastener body is made shall show Shore hardness of 60 Athrough 50 D. The most advantageous material hardness of the stiffeninginserts in Shore scale shall show more than 60 D.

Thanks to the flexibility of plastics material, of which the body of theskirting fastener according to the present invention has been made, thebody can be used for connecting the longitudinal skirting elements incorners showing different angles of deflection because there is apossibility to set up the walls of the skirting fastener at differentangles and to fit the skirting fastener to different shapes of suitablewall quoins of buildings or to other elements.

However, the use of stiff inserts enables to ensure a proper stiffnessof the whole structure and ensures the advantageous conditions for theuse of fastener fitting up elements.

Therefore, the solution according to the present invention constitutesan universal structure of the skirting fastener which excludes thenecessity of producing fasteners, being only fitted for a determinateangle of deflection, or for a certain shape of a quoin, where thelongitudinal skirting elements are to be connected with each other.

The object of the present invention is presented by way of embodiments,with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 shows the first embodiment of the skirting fastener according tothe present invention along with the click fitting up elements in an endview;

FIG. 2 shows the longitudinal section of the skirting fastener wallaccording to FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 shows an enlarged view, being inscribed by means of a circle inFIG. 2;

FIG. 4 shows a section along the line B-B in FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 shows the second embodiment of the skirting fastener according tothe present invention in an end view;

FIG. 6 shows a wall section of the skirting fastener along the line A-Ain FIG. 5;

FIG. 7 shows a front view of the skirting fastener according to FIG. 5;

FIG. 8 shows section along the line B-B in FIG. 7;

FIG. 9 is a perspective view of the skirting fastener.

The subject invention has not been limited to that type of the skirtingfastener which is presented in the embodiment from the drawing, whichmeans that it also includes skirting fasteners of another kind, havingdifferent body structures.

FIG. 1 of the drawing shows structure of the inner corner skirtingfastener of a skirting board. The body 1 of the skirting fastener ismade of thermoplastic elastomer and shows two walls 2 and 3, beingprovided with fitting up elements 7 a, 7 b, 8 a and 8 b made ofthermoplastic polymer used for creation of a click, joint provided withsuitable longitudinal elements of the skirting profiles. The shape ofthe walls 2, 3 of the body 1 is fitted to the shape of the outer profilearea of the longitudinal elements of the skirting, as an instance of theskirting board.

Each of the walls 2, 3 shows longitudinal stiffening inserts 4, 5, beingmade of thermoplastic polymer which are immovable connected with thematerial of the walls 2, 3. Those inserts take up almost the wholelength of the walls 2, 3 of the body 1 of the skirting fastener and thatis the reason for which the body 1 shows lengthwise the requiredstiffness. The shape of inserts should be selected in such a way that atthe determinate stiffness of the plastics material, of which the insertshave been made, it can ensure preservation of the proper shape of thewhole skirting fastener. In the embodiment as presented in the drawing,the inserts 4, 5 are shaped in such a way that they are nearing theshape of the elongated rectangles. As it has been shown, in particularin FIG. 4, the fitting up elements 7 a, 7 b, 8 a, 8 b are immovableconnected with the proper stiffening inserts 4, 5, constituting one unitwith them.

In the first embodiment, as disclosed in the drawing and as it has beenshown in particular in FIG. 2 and in FIG. 3, the inserts 4, 5 have beensunk within walls 2, 3, however another solution, enclosing immovableconnection of the stiffening inserts 4, 5 with the body walls and withthe fitting up elements 7 a, 7 b, 8 a, 8 b, is also possible.

FIG. 5 shows the second embodiment of the structure of a corner fastenerof the skirting board in an end view. The body 1.1 of the skirtingfastener is made of thermoplastic elastomer and includes two walls 2 and3, being provided with fitting up elements made of thermoplasticpolymer, used for creating a connection with corresponding longitudinalelements of the skirting board. The shape of the body 1.1 walls 2, 3, asin case of the above-described structure, is matched with the shape ofthe outer profile area of the longitudinal profile elements of theskirting, as an instance of the skirting board.

Each wall 2, 3, as presented in FIGS. 6 and 8, shows longitudinalstiffening inserts 4.1, 5.1, being made of thermoplastic polymer whichare immovable connected with the material of walls 2, 3.

In embodiment as presented in FIGS. 5-9 of the accompanying drawing, theinserts 4.1, 5.1 are shaped in such a way that they are nearing theshape of the elongated rectangles. The stiffening inserts 4.1, 5.1constitute in their certain length section, being fitted to the shape ofthe skirting elements, longitudinal profile elements 6,9, approximatingin their cross-section the shape of “u”. One of the arms 6 a, 9 a ofeach profile elements 6,9 is placed outside the body 1.1 wall 2, 3 ofthe skirting fastener and creates a fitting up catch. The profileelements 6, 9 show transverse recesses in their outer arms 6 a, 9 a.

The corner skirting fastener according to this embodiment is used forconnecting the longitudinal profile elements of the skirting in cornersof the inner deflections of the compartment walls by means of puttingthe arms 6 a, 9 a under the appropriate surfaces of the profile elementsof the skirting. The body 1.1 of the skirting fastener, having highflexibility enables a wide fitting scope of the wall 2, 3 angle of flareto the determinate quoin shape.

1. A skirting fastener, and more particularly a skirting board fastener,comprising a body having first and second walls, the outer shape of thebody forming the profile of the skirting, the body being provided withfitting up elements, and being made of a flexible plastics material,wherein the body walls are provided with stiffening inserts made ofstiff plastics material, and being longitudinally placed and immovablyconnected with the walls; and to each of the inserts are immovablyattached the fitting up elements, constituting one unit with the insert.2. A skirting fastener, as claimed in claim 1, wherein the stiffeninginserts comprise in their length section the longitudinal profileelements, approximating in their cross-section the shape of a “u”,wherein one of the arms of each profile element, forms a fitting upelement and is located outside the body wall of the skirting fastener.3. A skirting fastener, as claimed in claim 2, wherein the outer arm ofeach profile element has a transverse recess.
 4. A skirting fastener, asclaimed in claim 1, wherein the stiffening inserts are made ofthermoplastic polymer.
 5. A skirting fastener, as claimed in claim 1,wherein the body is made of thermoplastic elastomer.
 6. A skirtingfastener, as claimed in claim 1, wherein the inserts are placed almostalong the entire length of the body walls.